Computerized methods for displaying clinically-related in-patient information

ABSTRACT

Methods for use in, e.g., in-patient care computing environment, for displaying clinically-related in-patient information on at least one patient-viewable display device are provided. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention may include receiving a clinical order associated with an in-patient, automatically generating one or more tasks based on the clinical order received, and automatically displaying the task(s) on the patient-viewable display device. If desired, the method may additionally include associating the clinical order and the task(s) with an electronic record associated with the in-patient (e.g., an electronic medical record), and accessing the electronic record to obtain the one or more tasks for display on the patient-viewable display device.

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/143,001 filed Jun. 2, 2005, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to computing environments. Moreparticularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods andsystems for use in, e.g., an in-patient care computing environment, themethods and systems for displaying clinically-related in-patientinformation on at least one patient-viewable display device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In modern clinical settings, there is often an electronic record, e.g.,an electronic medical record, associated with each patient presenting ata patient care institution, for example, a hospital or clinic. Oneexample of such an electronic record is an electronic medical record,such as the PowerChart® application available from Cerner Corporation ofNorth Kansas City, Mo. Electronic medical records are designed to offera single location wherein as much information as possible relevant tothe patient with whom the record is associated is readily viewable andactionable, generally by a clinician or other authorized institutionpersonnel.

As information is manually entered into a patient's medical record, orthe medical record is automatically populated based on informationreceived from an associated system, events directly affecting thepatient's schedule, for instance, tasks, may be generated. “Tasks” aregenerally used by a clinician or other care giver and serve as remindersthat something was, or is, to be done for a particular patient, as wellas what was, or is, to be done. That is, “tasks” are typically remindersto the clinician that, for instance, a medication was, or is, to begiven, a vital sign was, or is, to be checked, data was, or is, to becollected, a procedure was, or is, to be performed, or the like. Tasksgenerally have a time associated therewith which may be a particularinstance in time or may indicate that the task is continuous, e.g., anIV medication administered over a period of several hours, and specifyonly an initiation time and/or monitoring time. Alternatively, ifdesired, a time associated with a task may indicate that a task is to beperformed only as needed (i.e., PRN).

Tasks are typically generated from clinical orders and specify, withparticularity, what is to be done for a patient. Thus, if an orderstates that a patient is to receive four 20 mg doses of medication X,one dose every three hours beginning at 12:00 pm, four tasks may begenerated for the patient: a first task at 12:00 pm, a second tasks at3:00 pm, a third task at 6:00 pm, and a fourth task at 9:00 pm, eachtask indicating that 20 mg of medication X are to be administered.

While this information is generally viewable by the clinician and otherauthorized institution personnel, the electronic medical record istypically not made available to the patient for viewing. Thus, referringback to the above-described example, although the order setting forththe administration schedule of medication X is known to relevantinstitution personnel, the patient remains unaware that s/he hasparticular events scheduled throughout his or her day at 12:00 pm, 3:00pm, 6:00 pm, and 9:00 pm. In fact, the patient may not be aware that themedication administration has been scheduled for a particular time untilthe appropriate institution personnel arrives at his or her room tocarry out the administration.

This overall unawareness of what is to take place throughout the day canmake patients feel out of control and detached from the care they arereceiving. In-patient stays in clinical institutions can benerve-wracking experiences for many individuals and simple knowledge ofwhat's to come in the next few hours can aid dramatically in easing apatient's mind. Further, when unaware of their daily schedules, patientsoften do not feel at ease to schedule events of their own. For instance,if a particular friend or family member wishes to come to the clinic andvisit the patient, the patient is unaware of what might be a good timeto instruct the friend or family member to arrive. Still further, if thepatient wishes to take a nap or spend some time reading a new book, s/hemay get five minutes into it only to find out something else has beenscheduled for the same time frame. Events such as this can be extremelyfrustrating and contribute to overall discontent with a patient's stayat the institution.

Accordingly, a system and method which provides access to informationpertaining to an in-patient in a manner which is easily viewable by thein-patient and his or her loved ones would be desirable. Additionally, asystem and method for providing a patient access to his or her scheduleof events, to the extent such is known to the care-giving personnel,would be advantageous. Further, it would be advantageous if thein-patient could receive this information in real-time so that s/hecould feel more in control and at ease with the care being received.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods for use in, e.g.,an in-patient care computing environment, for displayingclinically-related in-patient information on at least onepatient-viewable display device. In one embodiment, the method includesreceiving a clinical order associated with an in-patient, automaticallygenerating one or more tasks based on the clinical order received, andautomatically displaying the task(s) on at least one patient-viewabledisplay device. If desired, the method may further include associatingthe clinical order and the task(s) with an electronic record associatedwith the in-patient, and accessing the electronic record to obtain thetask(s) for display on the at least one patient-viewable display device.Still further, if desired, the method may additionally include filteringthe task(s) based on at least one criterion prior to automaticallydisplaying the task(s) on the at least one patient-viewable displaydevice.

In another embodiment, a method in accordance with the present inventionincludes receiving at least one of a clinical diagnosis and informationpertaining to a clinical issue, the clinical diagnosis and/or clinicalissue being associated with an in-patient, automatically generating oneor more tasks based on the clinical diagnosis and/or informationpertaining to the clinical issue received, and automatically displayingthe task(s) on at least one patient-viewable display device.

In yet another embodiment, a method in accordance with the presentinvention includes receiving at least one of a clinical order, aclinical diagnosis, and information pertaining to a clinical issue, theclinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or clinical issue beingassociated with an in-patient, and displaying one or more of advertisingcontent and clinical information pertaining to the clinical order,clinical diagnosis, and/or clinical issue on at least onepatient-viewable display device. If desired, the method may furtherinclude associating the clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/orinformation pertaining to the clinical issue with an electronic recordassociated with the in-patient, accessing the electronic record toobtain the clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or informationpertaining to the clinical issue, and utilizing the clinical order,clinical diagnosis, and/or information obtained to select theadvertising content and/or clinical information for display on the atleast one patient-viewable display device, Still further, if desired,the method may include filtering the advertising content and/or clinicalinformation based on at least one criterion prior to displaying the sameon the at least one patient-viewable display device.

The present invention additionally relates to one or morecomputer-readable media having computer-executable instructions forperforming the methods set forth herein, as well as to computersprogrammed to perform the disclosed methods.

Additional embodiments of the present invention relates to a userinterface embodied on at least one computer readable medium, the userinterface for displaying an in-patient directed view ofclinically-related in-patient information. In one embodiment, the userinterface includes a schedule display area configured to display atleast one of clinically-related tasks associated with the in-patient andnon-clinically-related scheduling information. If desired, a userinterface in accordance with embodiments may also include one or more ofan advertising content display area configured to displayclinically-related advertising content, a clinical information displayarea configured to display clinically-related education materials, anemail display area configured to display one or more of an email inboxassociated with the in-patient and at least one email message residingin the in-patient's email inbox, a demographics display area configuredto display information associated with the in-patient that has beenderived from an electronic record associated with the in-patient, and alive-connect display area configured to display a real-time video imageof a remote location with which an audio/video connection has beenestablished.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to theattached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing environment suitablefor use in implementing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing a method for displayingclinically-related in-patient information in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a flow diagram showing a more detailed method fordisplaying clinically-related in-patient information than the method ofFIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a method for displayingclinically-related advertising content and/or clinical information inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing a more detailed method for displayingclinically-related advertising content and/or clinical information thanthe method of FIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6A is an exemplary screen display illustrating display ofclinically-related in-patient information on a patient-viewable displaydevice, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6B is an exemplary screen display similar to that shown in FIG. 6Aand additionally illustrating live-connect functionality through anaudio/video connection, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of the present invention is described withspecificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, thedescription itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent.Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject mattermight also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps orcombinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, inconjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover,although the terms “step” and/or “block” may be used herein to connotedifferent elements of methods employed, the terms should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order among or between varioussteps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individualsteps is explicitly described.

The present invention provides a computerized method and system fordisplaying clinically-related in-patient information on at least onepatient-viewable display device. As used herein, the terms “individual”,“person”, “patient”, and “in-patient” are used interchangeably and arenot meant to limit the nature of the referenced individual in any way.Rather, the methods and systems described herein are equally applicablein, for instance, a veterinary setting. Further, use herein of the term“patient” and/or “in-patient” is not meant to imply any particularrelationship between the individual in question and those accessing,updating, and/or viewing the patient's information.

Additionally, as used herein, the term “patient-viewable display device”refers to a display device viewable by the in-patient, the in-patient'sfriends, and/or family members of the in-patient, and the like. The term“patient-viewable display device” is thus not intended to imply that theinformation must be viewable by the individual to whom the informationpertains, although such is contemplated by some embodiments of thepresent invention. The term “patient-viewable display device” is alsonot intended to imply that the display device must be in proximity tothe in-patient. In fact, embodiments of the present inventioncontemplate that information pertaining to the individual in questionmay be viewable by individuals outside of the institution, for instance,the information may be viewable by a family member at his or her placeof residence. All such variations are contemplated within the term“patient-viewable display device”, as that term is utilized herein. Inone embodiment, the patient-viewable display device is a flat panelmonitor having an interactive touch screen located in proximity to thein-patient and readily available to, e.g., the in-patient and thein-patient's friends and/or family members, at all times.

Having provided a brief overview of embodiments of the presentinvention, an exemplary operating environment for embodiments of thepresent invention is described below.

Referring to the drawings in general, and initially to FIG. 1 inparticular, an exemplary computing system environment, for instance, amedical information computing system, on which the present invention maybe implemented is illustrated and designated generally as referencenumeral 20. It will be understood and appreciated by those of ordinaryskill in the art that the illustrated medical information computingsystem environment 20 is merely an example of one suitable computingenvironment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to thescope of use or functionality of the invention. Neither should themedical information computing system environment 20 be interpreted ashaving any dependency or requirement relating to any single component orcombination of components illustrated therein.

The present invention may be operational with numerous other generalpurpose or special purpose computing system environments orconfigurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments,and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the presentinvention include, by way of example only, personal computers, servercomputers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumerelectronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers,distributed computing environments that include any of theabove-mentioned systems or devices, and the like.

The present invention may be described in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer. Generally, program modules include, but are notlimited to, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structuresthat perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. The present invention may also be practiced in distributedcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed computing environment, program modules may be located inlocal and/or remote computer storage media including, by way of exampleonly, memory storage devices.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the exemplary medical informationcomputing system environment 20 includes a general purpose computingdevice in the form of a control server 22. Components of the controlserver 22 may include, without limitation, a processing unit, internalsystem memory, and a suitable system bus for coupling various systemcomponents, including database cluster 24, with the control server 22.The system bus may be any of several types of bus structures, includinga memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus,using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronic Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, also known as Mezzaninebus.

The control server 22 typically includes therein, or has access to, avariety of computer readable media, for instance, database cluster 24.Computer readable media can be any available media that may be accessedby control server 22, and includes volatile and nonvolatile media, aswell as removable and nonremovable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer readable media may include computer storage mediaand communication media. Computer storage media may include, withoutlimitation, volatile and nonvolatile media, as well as removable andnonremovable media implemented in any method or technology for storageof information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data. In this regard, computer storage mediamay include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory orother memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVDs) or otheroptical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage, or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which may be accessed bycontrol server 22. Communication media typically embodies computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other datain a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transportmechanism, and may include any information delivery media. As usedherein, the term “modulated data signal” refers to a signal that has oneor more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as toencode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,communication media includes wired media such as a wired network ordirect-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the abovealso may be included within the scope of computer readable media.

The computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 1,including database cluster 24, provide storage of computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules, and other data forcontrol server 22.

The control server 22 may operate in a computer network 26 using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers 28. Remote computers 28 maybe located at a variety of locations in a medical environment, forexample, but not limited to, clinical laboratories, hospitals and otherin-patient settings, ambulatory settings, medical billing and financialoffices, hospital administration settings, home health careenvironments, and clinicians' offices. Clinicians may include, but arenot limited to, a treating physician or physicians, specialists such assurgeons, radiologists and cardiologists, emergency medical technicians,physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, nurses' aides,pharmacists, dieticians, microbiologists, and the like. Remote computers28 may also be physically located in non-traditional medical careenvironments so that the entire health care community may be capable ofintegration on the network. Remote computers 28 may be personalcomputers, servers, routers, network PCs, peer devices, other commonnetwork nodes, or the like, and may include some or all of the elementsdescribed above in relation to the control server 22.

Exemplary computer networks 26 may include, without limitation, localarea networks (LANs) and/or wide area networks (WANs). Such networkingenvironments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computernetworks, intranets, and the Internet. When utilized in a WAN networkingenvironment, the control server 22 may include a modem or other meansfor establishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. In anetworked environment, program modules or portions thereof may be storedin the control server 22, in the database cluster 24, or on any of theremote computers 28. For example, and not by way of limitation, variousapplication programs may reside on the memory associated with any one ormore of the remote computers 28. It will be appreciated by those ofordinary skill in the art that the network connections shown areexemplary and other means of establishing a communications link betweenthe computers (e.g., control server 22 and remote computers 28) may beutilized.

In operation, a user may enter commands and information into the controlserver 22 or convey the commands and information to the control server22 via one or more of the remote computers 28 through input devices,such as a keyboard, a pointing device (commonly referred to as a mouse),a trackball, or a touch pad. Other input devices may include, withoutlimitation, microphones, satellite dishes, scanners, or the like. Thecontrol server 22 and/or remote computers 28 may include otherperipheral output devices, such as speakers and a printer.

Although many other internal components of the control server 22 and theremote computers 28 are not shown, those of ordinary skill in the artwill appreciate that such components and their interconnection are wellknown. Accordingly, additional details concerning the internalconstruction of the control server 22 and the remote computers 28 arenot further disclosed herein.

As previously mentioned, embodiments of the present invention relate tomethods for use in, e.g., an in-patient care computing environment, fordisplaying clinically-related in-patient information on at least onepatient-viewable display device. The term “clinically-related in-patientinformation” as utilized herein, refers to information which is derivedfrom clinical information that has been associated with the in-patientin question. That is, the information to be displayed has particularrelevance to the in-patient as it has been selected for display on thebasis of clinical information associated with the in-patient. Thus, theinformation is not randomly selected for display but is informationdirectly affecting, or otherwise of particular interest to, theindividual in question.

With reference to FIG. 2, a flow diagram representative of a method fordisplaying such clinically-related in-patient information in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated and depictedgenerally as reference numeral 200. Method 200 maybe implemented on theabove-described exemplary computing system environment (FIG. 1) and, byway of example only, may be utilized by an in-patient in a patient careinstitution to view his or her daily schedule,

Initially, as indicated at block 210, a clinical order, clinicaldiagnosis, and/or information pertaining to a clinical issue associatedwith an in-patient is received. Next, as indicated at block 212, one ormore tasks are generated based on the clinical order, clinicaldiagnosis, and/or information pertaining to the clinical issue received.The concept of tasks generated from a clinical order was discussedherein above and may include, by way of example only, a schedule ofadministration for a particular medication. Typically, clinical ordersare thought of as being created by a physician or other appropriatecare-giver. However, as the term “clinical order” is utilized herein, anorder may also be created by the in-patient. For instance, if anin-patient desires to have the temperature in his or her room decreasedat 9:00 pm for more comfortable slumber, s/he may create an order for aroom temperature alteration that can cause display of a task to decreasethe temperature at 9:00 pm. As all information displayed on thepatient-viewable display device, as more fully described below, is alsomade accessible to the appropriate institution personnel, and as this islikely something the in-patient cannot do him or herself, theappropriate institution personnel can see the task generated from thein-patient-created order and can perform the task at the designatedtime.

Tasks generated based upon a clinical diagnosis may include, by way ofexample only, a schedule of tests that are routinely run uponverification of a particular diagnosis, and the like. Tasks generatedbased upon information pertaining to a clinical issue similarly mayinclude, by way of example only, a schedule of tests that are routinelyrun upon presentation of a patient with a particular set of symptomsthat may be indicative of any number of disparate diagnoses.

Subsequently, as indicated at block 214, the task(s) generated based onthe clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or information pertaining toa clinical issue associated with an in-patient may be displayed on atleast one patient-viewable display device, that is, a computing devicemonitor, display screen, or the like. The task(s), and any additionalinformation (as more fully described below) may be viewable on multipledisplay devices, for instance, a display device located in a patient'sroom, a display device located in an institution waiting area, and/or adisplay device located at any location remote from the in-patient and/orinstitution. For instance, in one specific example, the patient-viewableinformation may be available for viewing on a display device locatedoverseas by military personnel as s/he attempts to monitor the carebeing received by a loved one.

Additionally, the information displayed may be continuously updated inreal-time so that the displayed information changes as care progresses.Accordingly, the in-patient and his or her loved ones may be assuredthat they are at all times up to speed on the in-patient's care.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a flow diagram is illustrated whichshows a more detailed method 300 for displaying clinically-relatedin-patient information on at least one patient-viewable display devicethan that shown in FIG. 2. Initially, as indicated at block 310, aclinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or information pertaining to aclinical issue associated with an in-patient is received. Next, asindicated at block 312, one or more tasks are generated based on theclinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or information pertaining to theclinical issue received. Each of steps 310 and 312 was discussed morefully herein above with reference to steps 210 and 212, respectively, ofFIG. 2.

Subsequently, as indicated at block 314, the clinical order, clinicaldiagnosis, and/or information pertaining to a clinical issue associatedwith the in-patient is associated with an electronic record associatedwith the in-patient, e.g., an electronic medical record, such as thePowerChart® application available from Cerner Corporation of NorthKansas City, Mo. By providing association with an electronic record, allinformation displayed (as more fully described below) may beautomatically updated in real-time, providing up-to-the-minute relevantinformation to in-patients and their loved ones.

Next, as indicated at block 316, the electronic medical record isaccessed to obtain tasks for display. In one embodiment, all tasksgenerated at the step indicated at block 312 initially may be accessed.

It is next determined whether or not there are any filters to be appliedto the task(s) obtained. This is indicated at block 318. Filters mayinclude, by way of example only, filtering criteria specified by acare-giver, filtering criteria specified by the in-patient, and/orfiltering criteria specified by the institution. A care-giver-specifiedfiltering criterion may be, by way of example only, an instruction thatprocedures automatically scheduled on the basis of a particular lab testresult not be made available for display until specifically directed bythe care-giver, such instruction being provided only subsequent to thelab test result being explained to the patient. An in-patient-specifiedcriterion may be, by way of example only, an instruction that thepatient wishes only to be informed of those tasks which causeinterruption to the patient and not of those tasks which may beperformed by institution personnel without the patient being disturbed.An institution-specified criterion may be, by way of example only, aninstruction that all patients scheduled to undergo surgical proceduresbe informed of the risks associated with such procedures prior to theprocedure being displayed on the patient's schedule.

If it is determined at the step indicated at block 318 that one or morefilters are to be applied to the task(s) obtained, the filters aresubsequently applied and the task(s) are filtered based upon at leastone criterion. This is indicated at block 320. Subsequently, or if it isdetermined that no filters are to be applied to the task(s) obtained,the task(s) are displayed on at least one patient-viewable displaydevice, as indicated at block 322.

Turning now to FIG. 3B, it is next determined whether any of the task(s)displayed require in-patient action. This is indicated at block 324. Byway of example only, in order for an institution to perform certainsurgical procedures, the in-patient must be made aware of the risksassociated with the procedure and execute a consent therefore. In thisinstance, a task stating, e.g., “Read and Sign Consent” may be generatedand completion of such task may be required prior to the surgicalprocedure taking place. If it is determined that a particular taskrequires in-patient action, an in-patient-action indicator may bedisplayed in association with the task, as indicated at block 326. Anexemplary in-patient-action indicator is shown and described more fullybelow with reference to FIG. 6A.

If an in-patient-action indicator has been displayed in association witha particular task, it is next determined whether input has been receivedindicating that the in-patient-required action has been completed. Thisis indicated at block 328. That is, referring to the above-described“Read and Sign Consent” task, it may be determined whether input hasbeen received which indicates that such consent has been executed. Ifsuch input has not been received, the in-patient-action indicator ismaintained in association with the task which requires action until suchinput is received, as indicated at block 330. However, if input isreceived which indicates that the required action has been completed,such input is subsequently associated with the electronic recordassociated with the in-patient, e.g., the electronic medical record.This is indicated at block 332. In this way, the care giving institutionmay track compliance with certain regulatory requirements with increasedease.

Additionally, in one embodiment, input may be received which indicatesthat a particular patient or his/her representative has refused toexecute a requested consent or that a previously executed consent hasbeen modified or canceled. As the input is integrated with an electronicrecord associated with the in-patient, if such modification,cancellation, or refusal input is received, the relevant clinicianand/or other institution personnel may be automatically notified and/orthe consent may be automatically identified as no longer effective asoriginally executed. Further, any procedures which have already beenscheduled may be canceled pending receipt of the appropriate consentwith or without accompanying notice to the relevant clinician and/orother institution personnel.

The in-patient-action indicator may subsequently be removed fromassociation with the task which required in-patient action or may bemodified to indicate that the required action has been completed, asindicated at block 334.

If it is determined that no displayed tasks require in-patient action,or upon removal or modification of the in-patient-action indicator forany tasks for which in-patient action was required, it is subsequentlydetermined whether any additional information is to be displayed. Thisis indicated at block 336. Additional information may include additionalclinically-related information, such as, by way of example only,educational materials explaining procedures scheduled to be performedfor the in-patient or setting forth the potential side effects ofmedications the in-patient is scheduled to receive, educationalmaterials mandated by Joint Commission on Accreditation of HealthcareOrganizations (JCAHO) requirements, support group information, patientsurveys, and/or selectable links thereto.

In one embodiment, the electronic record associated with the in-patientmay also be integrated with the institution's billing system, e.g., theProFit® system available from Cerner Corporation of North Kansas City,Mo. If such integration exists, additional information may furtherinclude a summary or itemized listing of charges the in-patient hasincurred during their stay, such charge-related information beingdisplayed, e.g., a pre-determined number of hours prior to thein-patient's discharge from the institution. Alternatively,charge-related information may be displayed as a task which may or maynot require in-patient action, e.g., review and/or acceptance ormodification prior to discharge.

Additional information may also include information which the in-patientmay be interested in but which is not clinically-related, for instance,institution visiting hours or chapel service schedules, emailcommunications, electronic messages, meal menu choices, and selectablelinks thereto.

If it is determined that no additional information is to be displayed,action is complete, as indicated at block 338. If it is determined thatadditional information is to be displayed, such additional informationis subsequently displayed on the patient-viewable display device, asindicated at block 340.

It will be understood and appreciated by those of ordinary skill in theart that the steps indicated at block 336, 338 and 340 may be performedat any time during the method set forth in FIGS. 3A and 3B and thatwaiting, for instance, until decisions on in-patient-action items havebeen resolved is optional and not intended to limit the presentinvention in any way. For instance, additional information may bedisplayed contemporaneously with display of tasks on thepatient-viewable display device or may be displayed prior to orindependently of any tasks being received, if desired. Additionally,determinations regarding display of additional information may beperformed multiple times as additional inputs and/or changes indisplayed information become available. All such variations arecontemplated to be within the scope hereof.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram is illustrated which shows amethod 400 for displaying clinically-related advertising content and/orclinical information on at least one patient-viewable display device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Such advertisingcontent may include, by way of example only, advertising for aparticular medication a patient has been scheduled to receive, whichadvertising may encourage the patient to select the name brand insteadof the generic formulation of the medication. Clinical information mayinclude, by way of example only, educational materials explainingprocedures scheduled to be performed for the patient or setting forththe potential side effects of medications the patient is scheduled toreceive, educational materials mandated by JCAHO requirements, supportgroup information, and/or selectable links thereto.

Initially, as indicated at block 410, a clinical order, clinicaldiagnosis, and/or information pertaining to a clinical issue associatedwith a patient is received. Examples of each of these was discussedherein above with reference to FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B. Subsequently, asindicated at block 412, advertising content (that is, clinically-relatedadvertising content) and/or clinical information pertaining to theclinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or clinical issue is displayedon at least one patient-viewable display device, for instance, acomputing device monitor or the like.

With reference to FIG. 5, a flow diagram is illustrated showing a moredetailed method 500 for displaying clinically-related advertisingcontent and/or clinical information than the method of FIG. 4 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Initially, asindicated at block 510, a clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/orinformation pertaining to a clinical issue associated with an in-patientis received. Subsequently, the clinical order, clinical diagnosis,and/or information pertaining to the clinical issue is associated withan electronic record associated with the in-patient, e.g., an electronicmedical record, such as the PowerChart® application available fromCerner Corporation of North Kansas City, Mo. This is indicated at block512. Subsequently, as indicated at block 514, the electronic record isaccessed to obtain the clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/orinformation pertaining to the clinical issue, the clinical order,clinical diagnosis, and/or information pertaining to the clinical issueis utilized to select clinically-related advertising content and/orclinical information for display, and the clinically-related advertisingcontent and/or clinical information is displayed on at least onepatient-viewable display device.

Next, it is determined whether there are any filters to be applied tothe clinically-related advertising content and/or clinical informationselected, as indicated at block 516. As previously described withrespect to step 320 of FIG. 3A, such filters may set forth at least onecare giver-specified criterion, in-patient-specified criterion, orinstitution-specified criterion. If any filters are to be applied, theadvertising content and/or clinical information is subsequently filteredbased on at least one criterion, as indicated at block 518.Subsequently, or if no filters are to be applied, the clinically-relatedadvertising content and/or clinical information is displayed on at leastone patient-viewable display device. This is indicated at block 520.

Turning now to FIG. 6A, an exemplary screen display illustrating displayof clinically-related in-patient information on a patient-viewabledisplay device, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention, is illustrated and designated generally as reference numeral600. It will be understood and appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art that the screen display of FIG. 6A is provided by way of exampleonly and it is not intended to limit the scope of the present inventionin any way. Further, it will be understood and appreciated that thescreen display 600 of FIG. 6A may be customized by the in-patient (orother authorized person) such that only those items which he or shewishes to view are displayed. All such variations are contemplated to bewithin the scope hereof.

Screen display 600 includes a demographics display area 602, an emaildisplay area 604, a schedule display area 606, an advertising contentdisplay area 608, a menu display area 610, and an additional informationdisplay area 612. The demographics display area 602 includes basicinformation about the in-patient to whom the displayed informationpertains, such information being derived from an electronic recordassociated with the in-patient. For example, the demographics displayarea 602 includes the patient's name, age, date of birth, home address,home telephone number, and emergency contact information, in addition toa picture of the patient. The email display area 604 includes an inboxand a viewing area so that the patient can check his or her email, ifdesired. The schedule display area 606 includes clinically-related tasksthat have been scheduled for the in-patient's day (in accordance withthe above-described methods), as well as additionalnon-clinically-related scheduling information such as institutionvisiting hours and a chapel service schedule.

Note that one of the tasks on the patient's schedule includes anin-patient-action indicator 614 in the form of a diamond with anexclamation point inside. This indicator indicates that in-patientaction is required on this particular task before, for instance, aparticular procedure may be performed. It will be understood andappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the particularform of the in-patient-action indicator is shown by way of example onlyand that any indicator serving to inform the in-patient and/or his orher loved ones that action is required is contemplated to be within thescope of the present invention.

The advertising content display area 608 includes any clinically-relatedadvertising content that has been selected for the in-patient based uponthe above-described methods. The menu display area 610 includes mealmenu information and permits the in-patient to browse through options,if available, and select the meal of his or her choice, if appropriate.The additional information display area 612 includes information, inthis case clinically-related information, for the patient to review, ifdesired. As previously discussed, such clinically-related informationmay include, by way of example only, educational materials explainingprocedures scheduled to be performed for the in-patient or setting forththe potential side effects of medications the in-patient is scheduled toreceive, educational materials mandated by JCAHO requirements, supportgroup information, and/or selectable links thereto.

The screen display 600 of FIG. 6A additionally includes a live-connectdisplay area 616 a wherein the in-patient may view a connectionestablished via an audio/video connection with another person in aremote location if appropriate capability is available. Such otherperson may be a family member or the like located at his or herresidence, or may be another institution in-patient, e.g., the baby ofan in-patient woman who has recently given birth. The live-connectdisplay area 616 a of FIG. 6A is not active. However, in the similarview of FIG. 6B, the live-connect display area 616 b is illustratedshowing a live connection.

In operation, by way of example only, suppose a diabetic patientpresented to the emergency department of a particular institutioncomplaining of chest pain and, after being examined, was admitted to theinstitution with an admitting diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction(AMI). During the patient's stay, s/he underwent a Diagnostic CardiacCatheterization yielding a diagnosis of 75% stenosis of the Mid-LAD, 85%stenosis of the proximal RCA, and 90% stenosis of the distal LAD. Thepatient, however, did not undergo an intervention due to the specificcircumstances at the time. The intervention is accordingly scheduled forthe following day. The patient is wheeled back to his or her room torecover from the Catheterization procedure. After recovering, thepatient is interested in viewing information related to his/her stay tosee what the next steps are along with what the available options arefor dinner.

Upon accessing his/her information, an initial screen display appears,e.g., the screen display illustrated in FIG. 6A. The patient's calendarshows a range of two days displaying today's and tomorrow's schedule.The patient when s/he arrived back in the room and when the doctor isschedule to visit to review the procedure results. Further, the patientsees that s/he is scheduled for an intervention the following day at9:00 am. On the right-hand side of the screen, is education informationabout coronary artery blockage (the patient's diagnosis). Further, theysee educational information about interventional cardiac catheterization(the procedure s/he will be having the next day). A check box appearsfor the educational material providing the capability of capturing thefact that the patient acknowledged reading the material.

Also on the screen is the patient's dinner plan. The schedule shows itarriving at 7:00 pm. To the right, it shows a scheduled meal tailoredfor his/her diabetic needs. The electronic record associated with thepatient had diabetes listed so the meal planning system wasautomatically trigger to provide only diabetic meals. The patient seesthat asparagus is listed for their meal. The patient, however, doesn'tcare for asparagus, so he selects the “Next Option” indicator whichcauses display of another diabetic-formulated meal. As soon as thepatient sees an offering that s/he likes, s/he selects the “Accept”indicator which causes notification to be forwarded to the kitchen thatthe patient in Room 121 has requested a particular meal.

On the medications front, the patient has been prescribed Plavix to thintheir blood. In addition to the Plavix blood thinning educationalmaterial being displayed, advertising content related to alternativesfor blood thinners are also displayed on the screen.

The patient schedule indicates that the cardiologist will arrive in theroom at 3:30 pm to review the results with the patient and family. Whenthe cardiologist arrives, he is able to select the Diagnostic CardiacCatheterization procedure shown on the schedule that had taken place at10:00 am that morning. Upon selecting this item, the system asks theuser to sign in with a logon and password. Once the cardiologist hasinput the appropriate information, the images of the procedure areavailable for display so that the cardiologist may discuss the findingsand explain the interventional procedure that will be done the followingday.

As can be understood, the present invention provides methods and systemsfor use in, e.g., an in-patient care computing environment, the methodsand systems for displaying clinically-related in-patient information onat least one patient-viewable display device. Utilizing the methods andsystems described herein, in-patients and their loved ones are able tomore actively participate in the care of themselves and/or their friendsand family in a way that permits them to have an increased feeling ofcontrol over the care being received. This, in turn, not only providesfor increased safety but leads to a more contented in-patient stay.

The present invention has been described in relation to particularembodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrativerather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art to which the present inventionpertains without departing from its scope.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, togetherwith other advantages which are obvious and inherent to the system andmethod. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinationsare of utility and may be employed without reference to other featuresand sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope ofthe claims.

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying clinically-relatedin-patient information, the method comprising: receiving at least one ofa clinical order, a clinical diagnosis, and information pertaining to aclinical issue, the clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or clinicalissue being associated with an in-patient; and displaying one or more ofadvertising content and clinical information pertaining to the clinicalorder, clinical diagnosis, and/or clinical issue on at least onepatient-viewable display device.
 2. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, further comprising: associating the at least one of theclinical order, the clinical diagnosis, and the information pertainingto the clinical issue with an electronic record associated with thein-patient; and accessing the electronic record to obtain the at leastone of the clinical order, the clinical diagnosis, and the informationpertaining to the clinical issue; and utilizing the at least one of theclinical order, the clinical diagnosis, and the information pertainingto the clinical issue accessed to select the one or more of theadvertising content and the clinical information for display on the atleast one patient-viewable display device.
 3. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, further comprising filtering the one or more of theadvertising content and the clinical information based on at least onecriterion prior to displaying the one or more of the advertising contentand the clinical information on the at least one patient-viewabledisplay device.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, whereineach of the at least one criterion comprises one of care giver-specifiedcriterion, an in-patient-specified criterion, and aninstitution-specified criterion.
 5. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein the method comprises displaying clinical informationpertaining to the clinical order, clinical diagnosis, and/or clinicalissue, and wherein the clinical information comprises one or more ofeducational materials, support group information, and selectable linksthereto.